Fazal Sidiqkhil, who groomed and raped young boys in England’s West Midlands, could be released in less than 19 years despite receiving dozens of sentences totaling 249 years.
The paedophile groomer preyed on boys as young as 11, buttering them up with cash gifts to gain their trust before subjecting them to “the most abhorrent” sexual offences and terrifying them into silence with threats against their families and the publication of footage of their abuse online.
The court ordered Sidiqkhil to forfeit and destroy items used in his crimes, emphasising the heinous nature of his attacks on children. A rope, a “penis pump/enlarger,” a mobile phone, oil, a “black strap with beads,” and a rucksack were among them.
Sidiqkhil was allegedly sentenced to a “34-year extended sentence” for his crimes, but in reality, this consists of only 28 years in prison and six additional years under licence conditions after his release.
Even the 28 years he has been “jailed for” misrepresents the “custodial” portion of his sentence, as the court says he will be eligible for release after serving only two-thirds of that 28 years — several months short of a mere 19 years.
The court revealed that he had been convicted on all 30 counts for a variety of crimes involving violence, threats, sexual abuse, and paedophilic grooming, with total prison time of up to 249 years.
However, they are all to be served concurrently, which means that the only one that matters is the longest, in this case for 28 years, with eligibility for release two-thirds of the way through.
This relatively light sentence, marketed to the public as “lengthy” by the authorities and media, was bestowed upon Sidiqkhil by the judge — despite the fact that 18 of the crimes for which he was convicted carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.